Siraba

Siraba is the powerful meeting of Malian donso musician Boubacar Samake and French electronic producer Damien Vandesande (of dOP). Drawing on the sacred hunter traditions of southern Mali and the pulsing energy of analogue electronics, their music is both ancestral and future-facing—a hypnotic blend of ritual, rhythm and raw emotion.

Their story began in 2003, when Damien recorded with Boubacar’s father, legendary donso master Sibiri Samake. Twenty years later, the two reunited in Dakar to create Siraba — ‘the great path’ — a project rooted in brotherhood, spiritual heritage, and a belief in the unifying power of music. Siraba’s self-titled debut, released on Damian Lazarus’s Secret Teachings label in 2023, set a bold template: Bambara incantations, resonant six-string ngoni, and deep, textured electronics. Follow-up single ‘Fakoly Chii’ paid tribute to the griot tradition with trance-like elegance, affirming the duo’s reputation for creating music that is as meaningful as it is danceable. In 2025, they released the striking two-track ‘Dâmba Kéle / Kôngô’ on Real World X (a digital imprint of Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records). These songs echo the core of Siraba’s message: strength, humility, balance—and a deep respect for the forest, the ancestors, and each other.

On stage, Siraba is unforgettable. Boubacar, in full donso dress, channels generations of healing and protection through voice and ngoni, while Damien sculpts a live electronic world that breathes, moves and uplifts. The performance is immersive and alive—part spiritual ceremony, part dancefloor revelation. Siraba is now booking for festivals, clubs and cultural programmes—offering a rare live experience where tradition and technology converge in rhythm, spirit and joy.